Senator Joseph Kyrillos to receive Award of National Significance

Community Options is a national nonprofit organization that has been developing homes and employment for people with disabilities since 1989. Each year, the organization gives out the highly regarded and distinguished Betty Pendler Award.

Betty Pendler was a tireless advocate for persons with disabilities. She was committed to people with disabilities, their families, and those who serve them. She was a person of commitment, good will, new ideas and new approaches to service. Betty was a powerful and enlightened advocate.

To continue to honor her memory, Community Options awards the Betty Pendler Award to someone that exemplifies the mission of the organization. Someone who is unwavering in their commitment to ensuring persons with disabilities live their best lives in communities of their choice.

This year, and at their annual spring event at Grounds For Sculpture, Community Options will honor Senator Joseph Kyrillos with the Betty Pendler Award.

Senator Joseph Kyrillos began serving New Jersey's 13th Legislative District in 1988 when he was elected to the General Assembly. After spending two terms in the Assembly he was elected to the Senate where he has served since 1993.

Today, under the order of Governor Chris Christie, a closure plan has been put into place to close the Vineland Developmental Center. This closure will emancipate over 400 women who have been relegated to live in this facility for most of their lives. A developmental center has not closed in the State of New Jersey since 1998.

Senator Kyrillos not only believes in community-based living for people with disabilities, but he is working along side of providers like Community Options to ensure that this closure stays on track. Senator Kyrillos understands that community living is far better than institutional living and that it is morally wrong to institutionalize a person who has done absolutely nothing wrong against society.

"Senator Kyrillos is a great Senator and more importantly, a humble, ethical man who cares about others,” says Robert Stack, President and CEO of Community Options.

You can see Senator Kyrillos receive the Betty Pendler Award on Friday, May 20, 2011 at 7:00pm at Grounds For Sculpture. The organization will also have American Idol’s Scott MacIntyre as the entertainment for the event. Tickets can be purchased online at www.coispring.eventbrite.com or by calling Angelique Rajski at 609-951-9900.

For more information about Community Options, please visit them at www.comop.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/communityoptions.